July 30, 2007

Rocket Craft: Stunning Plush Rendition Of Your Car, Bike, Engine

Holy smokes, it's like Take-G, only with plush instead of wood, and your car and its engine instead of fantastical anime robots.

Rocket Craft is an outfit in Sapporo who will create a plush replica of your car, precise in every customized detail [though the website does point out that, due to the inherent properties of the plush medium, tires are basically slicks, no offroad; flared fenders can be tricky; and radio antennas and other skinny accessories are out of the question].

Rocket Craft's crafts are not just off-the-shelf; they're faithful re-creations of your own vehicle; which is why the license plates are mosaicked out on cars in the portfolio. That's not just a generic Renault 5 Turbo; it's a client's. A Nissan Cube. A Honda Fit. A Volvo 240GL. Rocket Craft appears well-connected among the riceburner J-car enthusiasts in their home country. There are precious few wagons--though there is a Mitsubishi Delica offroadish minivan--and thankfully few SUV's.

At the moment, the sweet family truckster market remains largely untapped. But wouldn't a plush Mercedes A-Class or [of course] B-Class hit the spot? A plush Mazda5 or Audi A3? A plush 1977 Caprice Classic Wagon in sky blue with authentic, simulated woodgrain paneling? A plush Honda Element with archival-quality Cheerios sewn inside that rattle when you shake it?

35-45cm in length, depending on the model. 25,000-30,000 yen, plus 4,000 for the [optional] license plate. Do they entertain international inquiries? Do they take Paypal? I have no idea. But until the sun comes up and they see my email about a plush Citroen DS Wagon, we'll just stare longingly from afar.